Grand marshal drops out

NEWS

by Cynthia Laird

Gay former San Francisco supervisor Bevan Dufty won't be a
community grand marshal in this year's LGBT Pride parade after all.

Dufty, who was announced as a grand marshal with the
original slate in late April, told the Bay Area Reporter
that he has declined the honor.

"I very much wanted to be a Pride grand marshal but I
don't feel this is the right time," Dufty wrote in an email to the B.A.R.

Dufty had been selected by Pride's membership. He is currently
director of the city's Housing, Opportunity, Partnership, and Empowerment
program in Mayor Ed Lee's administration.

Asked whether his decision to step down had anything to do
with the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee's handling of the Bradley
Manning grand marshal brouhaha, Dufty declined to answer directly.

"I'm going to let my actions speak for me in this
situation," he wrote in an email.

Dufty said he alerted Pride staff May 9 that he would turn
down the invitation.

The B.A.R. learned of
his decision late Friday, when checking on the various grand marshals with
Pride officials and saw that Dufty's name wasn't on a recent list.